More than 100 children from the Tampa area took the field this week to work on their pitching, catching and hitting at the Seventh Annual Tampa Baseball Clinic, a free four-day program hosted by Derek Jeter's Turn 2 Foundation.

The clinic, which teaches baseball fundamentals and important life lessons, was held at the Port Tampa Community Center organized by the Turn 2 Foundation in partnership with the City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Department.

"The Turn 2 Foundation Baseball Clinic is an unforgettable four-day program that allows us to reinforce baseball fundamentals while teaching young people important lessons that will help them achieve their goals and reach their potential," said Sharlee Jeter, president of the Turn 2 Foundation. "By putting the two together, we hope that each child will learn to be a winner both on and off the field."

Dr. Sampson Davis, a motivational speaker, co-author of The New York Times bestseller The Pact, and co-founder of The Three Doctors Foundation, joined the clinic as this year's special guest speaker. His recent book, Living and Dying in Brick City, discusses his riveting experiences as an ER physician and offers preventative guidance as a means of supporting healthier communities.

Following a demonstration of baseball techniques by Turn 2 coaches, Dr. Davis spoke about the important role education and health played in his life, how they led him to become an ER physician and some of the riveting experiences he had throughout his career.

"Everything the Turn 2 Foundation promotes -- healthy living, leadership and academic excellence -- are all things that were vital in getting to where I am today," Dr. Davis said. "I am passionate about the foundation's message and am so excited to join once again to connect with today's youth."

Throughout the clinic, local coaches teach participants throwing, hitting, running, catching and fielding techniques, while Turn 2 staff share essential life lessons taken from Derek Jeter's autobiography, The Life You Imagine, which focuses on guiding today's youth toward positive, healthy choices and behavior.

The clinic concluded on March 14 with an awards ceremony and banquet to reward the participants for their accomplishments. Families and friends joined the children, who received certificates of completion and gift bags from the Turn 2 Foundation that included items donated by the organization and its sponsors -- Haddad Brands, Jordan Brand and Gatorade.

Turn 2 was established in 1996 by New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter to motivate young people to turn away from drugs and alcohol and 'turn to' healthy lifestyles.

Sixth Annual Tampa Baseball Clinic

Former Yankees reliever Nelson talks about leadership and working hard

Derek Jeter's Turn 2 Foundation continued its tradition of giving back when it hosted its Sixth Annual Turn 2 Foundation Tampa Baseball Clinic in partnership with the City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Department at Port Tampa Community Center. The annual free clinic brings approximately 125 local children together to learn the fundamentals of baseball, as well as important life skills and lessons.

On Thursday, March 14, 2013, former New York Yankees pitcher Jeff Nelson attended as a special guest speaker. Nelson spent time with the children and encouraged them to excel both on and off of the field. He guided the youth with words of encouragement:

"You always have to work hard to fulfill your dreams. I wasn't a very high Draft pick. I was drafted in the 22nd round, but I worked hard and didn't let anyone stop me."

He urged them to choose positive role models: "Pick out someone in your life that's doing things right and use them as a role model. It could be a teacher, your parents, whoever."

A talented group of local coaches were recruited to teach and reinforce the curriculum including throwing, hitting, running, catching and fielding techniques. In addition to learning baseball skills, the children were also exposed to essential life lessons. The "10 Life Lessons" were taken from Derek Jeter's New York Times bestselling autobiography, "The Life You Imagine," which focuses on guiding today's youth toward positive, healthy choices and behavior. Each chapter of the book is dedicated to one of Derek's mantras, such as "Finding the Right Role Models" and "Don't Be Afraid to Fail." Each child received a copy of Derek's All-Star Manual: 10 Life Lessons workbook to outline their goals and the steps to fulfilling their dreams.

Kayleigh, an 8-year-old clinic participant said, "I learned how to step and throw into a net and I learned how to hit. I liked hitting with my group because they cheered me on and it was really noisy! It was good because cheering makes the whole team better."

Another participant, Spencer, 13, said, "I learned if you put someone down, it doesn't make you look bigger. You actually look a lot smaller. They [the coaches] taught us that it is important to never give up in life."

At the conclusion of the four-day clinic, families and friends joined the children at the awards ceremony and banquet to reward them for their accomplishments. Each participant was honored with a certificate of completion and a gift bag from the Turn 2 Foundation that includes items donated by the Turn 2 Foundation and its sponsors, Jordan Brand, Haddad Brands and Gatorade.

The Turn 2 Foundation Baseball Clinics are one of the activities created by Derek Jeter's Turn 2 Foundation to reward children who are demonstrating positive behavior, academic excellence and leadership qualities in school and their communities. Clinics will run in New York City in July and Kalamazoo, Mich., in August.

Fifth Annual Tampa Baseball Clinic

Hall of Famer Gossage offers instruction, advises kids

Derek Jeter's Turn 2 Foundation continued its tradition of giving back when it hosted its Fifth Annual Turn 2 Foundation Tampa Baseball Clinic in partnership with the City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Department at Port Tampa Community Center. The annual free clinic brings approximately 125 local children together to learn the fundamentals of baseball, as well as important life skills and lessons.

On Thursday, March 15, 2012, former New York Yankee and Hall of Fame pitcher Richard "Goose" Gossage attended as a special guest speaker. Gossage spent time with the children and encouraged them to excel both on and off of the field. He also joined the participants during drills to offer interactive instruction. He guided the youth with words of encouragement.

"Baseball teaches us perserverance. You can't give up. We are what we think we are. If you think good things, good things happen. You need to have positive thoughts. If Derek Jeter thinks negatively, then he is going to fail. Think positive. It's just that simple. Be positive and work hard, and you will be successful."

Jacob, a 10-year-old student from Ballast Point Elementary School said, "I liked how Goose played on nine different teams and won the World Series and how he struck a lot of people out. He said that everyone makes mistakes and everyone learns from them, so you should never give up. I think he is a good role model because he's helping other people learn how to act and play baseball."

A talented group of local coaches were recruited to teach and reinforce the curriculum, including throwing, hitting, running, catching and fielding techniques. In addition to learning baseball skills, the children were also exposed to essential life lessons. The "10 Life Lessons" were taken from Derek Jeter's autobiography, "The Life You Imagine," which focuses on guiding today's youth toward positive, healthy choices and behavior. Each chapter of the book is dedicated to one of Derek's mantras, such as "Finding the Right Role Models" and "Don't Be Afraid to Fail." Each child received a copy of "Derek's All-Star Manual: 10 Life Lessons" workbook to outline their goals and the steps to fulfilling their dreams.

At the conclusion of the four-day clinic, families and friends joined the children at the awards ceremony and banquet to reward them for their accomplishments. Each participant was honored with a certificate of completion and a gift bag from the Turn 2 Foundation that includes items donated by the Turn 2 Foundation and its sponsors, Jordan Brand and Gatorade.

The Turn 2 Foundation Baseball Clinics are one of the activities created by Derek Jeter's Turn 2 Foundation to reward children who are demonstrating positive behavior, academic excellence, and leadership qualities in school and their communities. Clinics will run in New York City (July 10-13, 2012) and Kalamazoo, Mich. (Aug. 8-11, 2012).

Derek Jeters Turn 2 Foundation continued its tradition of giving back when it hosted its 2011 Baseball Clinic for kids, in partnership with the City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Department at George M. Steinbrenner Field. The annual free clinic brings approximately 125 local children together to learn the fundamentals of baseball, as well as important life skills and lessons.

On Thursday, April 28, former Yankee and Tampa resident Tino Martinez came as a special guest speaker. Martinez spent time with the children and encouraged them to excel both on and off the field. He also joined the participants during the drills to offer interactive instruction. He guided the youth with words of encouragement.

If you ever get in a rough spot, and youre not playing your best, just remember that mistakes are OK and you need to stay positive. Everyone makes mistakes but those who succeed grow from their mistakes.

Tampa student Greg, 11, commented on Martinezs pep talk. My favorite part was hearing Tino Martinez speak," Greg said. "He said that his parents were his role models and made him work hard. I thought he was going to say someone famous was his role model! Thats good that he listened to his parents and it makes me feel better.

A talented group of local coaches were recruited to teach and reinforce baseball fundamentals and skills including throwing, hitting, running, catching and fielding techniques. In addition to learning baseball skills, the children were also exposed to essential life lessons. The life lessons were taken from Derek Jeter's autobiography, "The Life You Imagine", which focuses on guiding today's youth toward positive, healthy choices and behavior. Each chapter of the book is dedicated to one of Derek's mantras, such as Finding the Right Role Model and Don't Be Afraid to Fail. Each child received a copy of "Derek Jeter's All-Star Manual: 10 Life Lessons" workbook to outline their goals and the steps to fulfilling their dreams.

At the conclusion of the four-day clinic, families and friends joined the children at the awards ceremony and banquet to reward them for their accomplishments. Each participant was honored with a certificate of completion and a gift bag from the Turn 2 Foundation that includes items donated by the Turn 2 Foundation and its sponsors -- Brand Jordan, Gatorade and the Yankees.

The Turn 2 Foundation Baseball Clinics are one of the activities created by Derek Jeters Turn 2 Foundation to reward children who are demonstrating positive behavior, academic excellence and leadership qualities in school and their communities. Clinics will run in New York City (Aug. 1-4, 2011) and Kalamazoo, Michigan (Aug. 10-13, 2011). The Turn 2 Foundation, established in 1996, has awarded more than $12 million in grants to create and support signature programs and activities that motivate young people to TURN 2 healthy lifestyles. Through these ventures, the Foundation strives to create outlets for children to achieve academic excellence, develop leadership skills and remain drug and alcohol free. These programs all share the same goal of helping todays youth become the leaders of tomorrow.

Third Annual Tampa Baseball Clinic

World Series MVP Dent talks about priorities, education

The Third Annual Turn 2 Foundation Tampa Baseball Clinic was held from April 12-15, 2010, at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the New York Yankees Spring Training facility and home of the Tampa Yankees. More than 100 Tampa area youth, ages 8-13, took part in the free clinic. The clinic is a partnership between the Turn 2 Foundation and the City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Department.

As the clinic kicked off on Monday morning, participants were directed to a pavilion where they were welcomed with a surprise special video greeting. Everyone was in awe as they saw Derek Jeter come on the screens to welcome them to the clinic. Derek told them that he was happy that each one of them could participate in his clinic and reminded them about good sportsmanship qualities like setting their goals high, respecting their teammates and coaches and trying their best no matter what. He also made sure to tell them to have fun, too. After the message, the children were ready to get on the field and play ball!

The participants were split into skill stations to start learning and practicing the fundamentals of baseball. The stations, taught by 15 expert coaches from the Tampa area, included hitting, running, fielding, throwing, pitching, bunting and catching. As the day went by, the children rotated from station to station learning all of the necessary techniques.

After the rotations were complete, the group came together to reflect on the day. They took part in a discussion framed around valuable life lessons from Derek Jeter's autobiography, The Life You Imagine. These lessons range in topics from 'Don't Be Afraid to Fail' and 'Think Before You Act,' to 'Finding Role Models' and 'Be Serious,' and 'Have Fun.' The children discussed how they could use these lessons to improve their performance on and off the field.

The clinic continued in the same manner over the next three days. On Wednesday, April 14, former Yankee All-Star and World Series MVP Bucky Dent treated the participants to a special guest appearance. Bucky facilitated a lively discussion with the participants about making positive choices in their lives. He also spoke about making education the No. 1 priority. To everyone's surprise, Bucky announced that he would be awarding weeklong scholarships to his famous Bucky Dent Baseball School to two participants that would be specially selected by the coaches at the end of the clinic.

On the final day of the clinic, each station was designed for the participants to work individually and as a team in contests using the skills they had learned the previous three days. The contests included fastest time around the bases, relay throwing races, and a pitching contest.

As the contests concluded, the participants headed off the field to the pavilion where they would close out the clinic with a special banquet and awards ceremony to recognize their hard work throughout the week. The children invited their parents, family members and friends to join in the closing celebration. Each child was individually recognized and honored with a certificate and a gift bag from the Turn 2 Foundation and its partners. Lastly, the two winning participants of the Bucky Dent Baseball School scholarships were announced. As they came up to receive their scholarship certificates, they received much applause from their teammates, coaches and invited guests. It was a fitting, celebratory way to finish off a fantastic clinic!

The Turn 2 Foundation would like to thank the New York Yankees for once again hosting the clinic at George M. Steinbrenner Field. We would also like to thank clinic sponsors Brand Jordan and Gatorade for all of their support. A special thank you goes out to the City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Department for continuing to help make the program a success each year.

The Second Annual Turn 2 Foundation Tampa Baseball Clinic was a resounding success! From April 6-9, the Foundation and its valued partner, the City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Department, hosted a free four-day baseball clinic for Tampa-area youth ages 8-13. Once again, the New York Yankees generously provided George M. Steinbrenner Field and its facilities -- the Spring Training home of the New York Yankees and home of the Tampa Yankees -- to the Foundation as the location for the clinic. This allowed for a truly special atmosphere for approximately 100 youth participants.

The clinic focused on important baseball fundamentals as well as the Foundation's curriculum of 10 Life Lessons from Derek Jeter's New York Times bestselling book, The Life You Imagine. Throughout the week, coaches focused on important life lessons for the players' experiences both on and off the field. Former Yankees first baseman, MLB All-Star and Tampa native Tino Martinez provided an extra special moment for the participants as a guest speaker on the third day of the clinic. He reinforced the importance of staying in school, working hard and making good choices. He also gave the players some hitting and fielding tips.

To conclude the clinic, a banquet and awards ceremony was held at the field to which the participants' families were invited. Each participant received special recognition for all of his or her hard work and dedication throughout the week. The Turn 2 Foundation is looking forward to continuing its fantastic partnership with the City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Department to bring the Third Annual Turn 2 Foundation Tampa Baseball Clinic to even more Tampa-area youths in the Spring of 2010!

Since its launch in 1996, the Turn 2 Foundation has awarded more than $20 million in grants.

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